Missile tray with clamp



Filed Dec. 31, 1962 May 3, 1966 P. G. WERMAGER ETAL 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 3, 1966 P. G. WERMAGER Em.3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31, 1962 May 3, 1966P. s. WERMAGx-:R ETAL 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 31, 1962 May 3 1966P. G. WERMAGER ETAL 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP Filed Dec. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 3, 1966P. G. WERMAGER ETAL 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP Filed Dec. 31. 1962?.v

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O m 3,249,011 MISSILE TRAY WITHCLAMP Palmer-G. Wermager and Bertram J. Matson, `Minne apolis, Minn.,assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Dec. 31, 1962, Ser. No.248,822 1 Claim. (Cl. 89-1.7)

The present invention relates to handling and supporting structure for amissile and in particular to new and novel supporting structure forreleasably retaining a missile thereon while in storage land while intransit from storage to the missile hoist whereby the missiles arethereafter lifted into position for transportation to the launcher.

The trays of this invention, often referred to as readyV service trays,are a part of a ready service mechanism for a yguided missile launchingsystem which is the subject of co-pending application entitled GuidedMissile Launching System, Serial No. 265,581, tiled M-arch 7, 1963, byGaroldA. Kane et al. The subject matter of this invention is shown anddescribed, but not claimed, in the above-mentioned co-pendingapplication to Kane et al..

y This missile or weapon handling and storage equipment is of la typeyadapted for use in guided missile launching systems wherein thelaunching, loading and ring mechanisms are eiectively isolated from theareas occupied by projectile stowage facilities. The missiles are movedfrom the stowage level to the missile launching and tiring equipment .bymeans of missile hoists and rails. This invention facilitates handlingand storage of missiles in the stowage space or magazine adjacent orsurrounding the hoists and greatly reduces the manual Y effort requiredin moving the missiles from these stowage assemblies to a position onthe hoist.

' A preferred embodiment of the storage tray equipment is described withrelation to a ready service ring and hoist assembly structure of thehereinbefore cited copending application, but is not to be construed asbeing limited to such usage; This invention is, according to a preferredembodiment thereof, well adapted for a use with rapid-lire missilelaunching system assemblies Whereby a constant supply of missiles isrequired to he delivered to the launching and firing equipment. Theinstant invention accomplishes this result without the necessity for alarge crew of personnel to manually handle the Weapons and to load thehoist of the rapid lire missile systems. VIt is the provision ofadequate facilities for high-rate handling of projectiles that theapparatus embodiment of the present invention is intended.

It has been the practice in the past to handle missile Weapons andsimilar weapon Iarticles by manual labor or perhaps with cranes andhoists aided lby slings or extemporaneous pallets. The increase in size,complexity and delicacy of missile weapons to be stored and handled, inaddition to the demand for automatic, rapid selection of particularmissile weapons from a store of missile weapons at a particular stationand quick transfer thereof to a further station, has 'rendered suchhandling methods obsolete. Prior art methods of projectile handling haveincluded, in addition to the manual hand handling, the

Patented May 3, 1966 The projectile handling and storage trays of theinstant invention are also adapted for use in receiving missiles fromthe hoist during a missile strike down or unloading cycle prior todisassembly o f the missile.

One object of the present invention is the provision of ya new andimproved automatic missile storage tray mechanism for use with a -guidedmissile launching system in which -manual effort in moving missiles'froma stowage space on a service ring to a hoisting position is materiallyreduced over the handling methods heretofore or now in general use, andin which the possibility of mishandling or misalignment duringengagement with the missile hoist is reduced to a minimum.

An additional object of this invention lies in the provision of a rapidrate handling and stowage mechanism for use with guided missilelaunching system ready service ring assemblies. v

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improvedmeans of missile transfer from a stowage position to a position at themissile hoist wherein the missile is moved along a predetermined,

path of travel and is held in a steady position during such transfer,and in which tipping, falling or misalignment of the projectile duringsuch movement is reduced to zero.

Additionally, an object of this invention is to provide a missliesupport tray arrangement wherein positive control of the missile ismaintained during the full cycle of movement thereof from a -stowagespace to the hoist or vice versa.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a missilesupporting tray which automatically positions and releases a missilecontained thereon at a predetermined location.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a missilestorage tray which may he adapted to receive, store and handle any oneof a variety 'of different types of missiles. i

Another object of this invention resides in a new and improved missilestorage tray wherein a missile may be secured and protected againstdamage during handling and storage.

A further object of this invention is to provide struc-' -ture forsupporting missiles during movement from positions of storage to themissile hoist regardless of rolling or pitching of the ship whereby therate of lire may be maintained under adverse conditions and where thealignment of the missile at its hoist position is maintained under allof the aforementioned conditions.

Additional objects and advantages of this invention will be apparentfrom the following description of preferred embodiment of the inventiontaken in consideration with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial cut-away view of the general arrangement o-f aguided missile launching system showing the launcher, one conveyortrunk, a missile hoist and two ready service rings equipped with traysincorporating the new and novel structural features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial pictorial view of one ready service ring and anassociated missile tray;

FIG. 3 is a partial pictorial view which is a continuation of thestructure of FIG. 2 and disposed to the right of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a missile tray assembly equipped with amissile clamp, portions of the supporting ready service ring andportions of a tray shift mechanism;

FIG. 5 is anenlarged view of the missile clamp taken substantially alongthe lines 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of a tray assembly andmissile clamp with the clamp in closed position;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of a tray assembly with the missileclamp in opened position; and

FIG. 8 is a diametric view of the clamp actuating linkage.

Referring now to the drawings for a more complete understanding of theinvention, FIG. l shows an embodiment thereof incorporated in a missilelaunching system. The system generally comprises a launcher 10selectively positionable with regard to train and azimuth. A loader rail11 is utilized to convey missiles from the magazine to the launcher. Themagazine comprises a plurality of tube like trusses 12, generallyreferred to as ready service rings, around the periphery of whichmissiles and their associated boosters are maintained in storage. Themissiles are transported between positions of storage on the readyservice ring upward through magazine doors 14E-'and into associationwith the loader rail by means of a magazine hoist 13. Referringadditionally to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the ready service ring is providedwith individual trays 1S in which the missiles are retained. These traysrotate in unison around each truss so that any missile can be indexedinto a position over the associated magazine hoist. The trays areslidably secured to the ready service ring along three bearingassemblies or rings 20, 21 and 22. Longitudinal sliding motion of thetray and its associated missile, from a forward position wherein themissile is secured to the ready service ring to a rearward positionwherein the missile is secured to the hoist, is provided by a tray shiftmechanism 23. This mechanism is essentially a piston 24 linked to asliding bar 25 which in turn engages a projection on the tray 15.

The tray assembly embodying features of the present invention comprisesa booster saddle 30, a center saddle 31, a missile saddle 32 and twointerconnecting members 33. The three saddles have attached slides 34which mate with slides 34 provided on each of the bearing assemblies 20,21, and 22 of the ready service ring thereby permitting theaforementioned longitudinal movement of the tray and associated missile.Each saddle is essentially a semicircular cradle-like member in whichportions of the missile-booster combination are supported.

Booster saddle is locatedadjacent the aft bearing assembly 22 and isprovided with a cut-out portion 3S through which a handling T lug on thebooster may project in contact alternatively with either the T lugretainer 35 on ready service ring or the aft hoist mechanism 13. Thecenter saddle is larger than either the missile saddle or yboostersaddle land supports both the mail of fthe missile and the forward endof the booster. A large opening 36 is provided in the bottom of thecenter saddle to 4permit the booster U lug to project downward intocontact with either U lug retainer 36 or forward hoist 13 and to permitthe forward hoist to raise the weapon. A grooved projection 37 at thebottom of the center saddle engages the tray retaining ring 21 `in allcircumferential positions except at the transfer location where itengages the slide 25 of the tray shift mechanism.

A missile saddle 32 has associated therewith clamping structure 40 forreleasably securing the missile to the tray as may be seen in FIGS. 2,4, 6, 7 and 8. Clamp 40 comprises two clamp arms 41, 42 pivotablyattached to missile saddle 32 by pins 43, 44. Swiveled to the lowerextremities of clamp arms by pins 45, i6V are links 47, 48 havingintegral therewith on their free ends clevis 49 and 50. These clevisportions are, in turn, coupled together by gudgeon 51. A sleeve S2 isspaced on gudgeon 51 within clevis 50, and has depending therefromconnecting arms l 53, 54 rotatably afxed by pin 55. Hinged at one end tothe connecting arms by pin 56 is an actuating clevis 57. The other endof the actuating clevis is revolvably secured to the missile saddle 32through depending lug 58.

A pair of cam rollers 61 are affixed on the actuating clevis midwaybetween the ends thereof. These rollers reside in a cam track 62 whichis secured to the forward bearing assembly 20. As may be seen in FIGS.5, 6, and

8, cam rollers 61 are at the apex of their travel within cam tracks 62when the tray is shifted to the forward position on the ready servicering. In this position pins 56 and 51 are in their uppermost positionsthereby causing clamp arms 41, 42 to be actuated to the closed positionthrough links 47, 48. As a result a missile on said tray is securelyattached thereto.

As may be seen in FIGS. 5 (dotted lines), 7 and 8, cam rollers 61 arecarried downwardly and to the rear of cam track 62 when the tray isshifted aft, thereby causing pins 56, 51 to be moved to their lower-mostpositions. As a result of this movement, clamp arms 41 and 42 areactuated outwardly to the open position through links 47, 48, therebyreleasing a missile which had been secured within the missile tray.Thus, as a missile tray is retracted aft, thereby locating the lowermissile handling lugs adjacent hoists 13, 13', the clamping structure 40is released from engagement with the missile thereby freeing the missilefor transportation therefrom.

During strike-down, the procedure outlined hereinbefore is reversed. Amissile is lowered from the loader rail by hoists 13, 13 into engagementwith an empty tray on the ready serv-ice ring. The tray and missile arethen shifted forward by the tray shift mechanism 23 thus actuating clamp40 to the closed condition and securing the lower missile and boosterhandling lugs -within the ready service ring.

Provision is made for the adaptation of the missile trays of the presentinvention with any one of a variety of missile-booster sizes and shapes.The provision comprises tray inserts 70 which may be secured to thesaddles and which conform generally to the shape thereof, as well as tothe missile which is to be retained thereon.

In the foregoing description, terms such as upwardly, downwardly,forward and aft are employed in describing the movements of members asillustrated in the drawings with the bow of the vessel, on which thelaunching system is mounted, generally directed toward the left. It willbe apparent, moreover, that the illustrative embodiments of theinvention described above are susceptible to various modificationswithin the purview of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is notto be limited to the embodiment shown and described but is of the scopedefined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a missile launching system of the type having a missile storagemagazine:

a missile supporting tray slidably attached within said magazine;

missile clamping means attached to said tray for retaining said missileon said tray including:

clamp arms pivotably mounted on said tray; and

clamp actuating linkage mounted on said tray comprising:

swivel links rotatably attached at one end to each of said clamp arms;and

an actuating clevis secured at one end to said tray;

the other ends of said clevis and swivel links being gimbal-joined; and

cam and cam track meansl mounted on said magazine and clevis wherebyrelative slid-ing motion of said tray, magazine, cam and cam trackimparts motion to said clevis and swivel links thereby actuating saidclamp arms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,485,909 10/1949Mosteller 214-1 X 2,826,120 3/1958 Lang et al 89-1.5 X 3,029,703 4/1962Smith 89-1.7 X 3,054,330 9/1962 Carlberg 89-l.7

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

S. W. ENGLE, Assistant Examiner.

